NEW YORK – The U.S. says a suspected al-Qaida terrorist charged in the 1998 attacks on embassies in east Africa that killed more than 200 people has died in federal custody days before his trial was to start.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara says in a court filing that Abu Anas al-Libi, who's also known as Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, died Friday from sudden complications "arising out of his long-standing medical problems."

Al-Libi had pleaded not guilty to charges he conspired in the simultaneous attacks on embassies in Tanzania and Kenya that killed 224 people, including a dozen Americans. His family and former associates denied he was ever a member of al-Qaida.